Kazakhstan's Samruk-Energy said it had signed engineering, procurement and construction contracts on Jan. 30 with a Kazakh-Singapore consortium to build combined heat and power plants in Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk, Vlast reported on April 7. These contracts replace previous deals with Russia.

Kazakhstan and Russia agreed in April 2024 to build three combined heat and power plants, but financing constraints on the Russian side stalled progress, prompting Astana to pursue alternative arrangements. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev publicly criticized delays in January 2026, increasing pressure to finalize contracts. Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk rely on aging Soviet-era heating infrastructure with frequent accidents and insufficient capacity during peak winter demand.